Only one week to go before Australia’s favourite citizen science event. The official Bird Counting Week is from the 20th to the 26th October 2025
The Aussie Bird Count is a national celebration of our diverse birdlife, featuring magpies, fairy-wrens, cockatoos, curlews, and honeyeaters. The 2025 Aussie Bird Count is taking flight for its 12th year.
This is your chance to help record the number of birds in Lane Cove. Anyone can be involved – register here.
Last year, more than 57,000 participants submitted nearly 130,000 checklists and logged more than 4.1 million birds across the country. Bold, adaptable species – the Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, and Australian Magpie – again topped the charts. Will they swoop in for the top three once more in 2025?
Guess what – there is an app for it (of course)!!
Just get comfy in your favourite outdoor space, make sure your eyes are peeled and record what you see for 20 minutes. Why not make it a family affair? You can count as many times as you like over the week, as long as the count is 20 minutes long.
Get your family and friends together and head off into the great outdoors.
Simply record the birds you see on the Aussie Bird Count app or through the Submit a Count tab on the website. You’ll instantly see live statistics on the number of people taking part and the number of birds and species counted in your neighbourhood and the whole of Australia.
Not only will you get to know your feathered neighbours, but you’ll also be contributing to a vital pool of information from across the nation that will help us see how Australian birds are faring.
BirdLife Australia, the national bird conservation charity behind the Aussie Bird Count, says the event is an essential step towards connecting people, place, and purpose.
“It’s not about being a bird expert,” says Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia’s National Public Affairs Manager. “It’s about spending time outdoors and learning something new about your local environment.”
“The Aussie Bird Count shows how citizen science can bring families and communities together while contributing to our understanding of Australia’s unique wildlife. A simple 20-minute activity can become an annual family tradition that teaches everyone about observation and nature.”
With more than a decade of data, the Aussie Bird Count results can provide BirdLife Australia with insights into trends in urban bird populations, contributing to a dataset that helps to guide future awareness campaigns, conservation priorities, and community education.
“Birds are indicators of environmental health. One in six Australian bird species is now under threat, so taking note of the birds around us has never been more important,” says Kate Millar, CEO of BirdLife Australia whose mission is to save birds and the natural life systems on which they depend.
“It’s also often a first step on a longer journey of curiosity, from noticing birds to caring about them, and from caring to protecting,” Kate adds. “Whether you’re a regular birder or someone who just enjoys the occasional kookaburra laugh or lorikeet fly-by, we’re inviting everyone across the country to pause, step outside, and count the birds that share their skies, gardens, and daily walks.”
Why join the count?
Australia’s largest citizen science project, the Aussie Bird Count encourages everyone to get to know their local birds and help BirdLife Australia take an annual, national snapshot of the birds around us.
It is also helping Australians to embrace the natural environment and sustainable thinking, through activations in classrooms, councils and even workplaces, with many embracing it as a learning tool, community activity and wellbeing initiative.
“Every count matters,” says Sean. “Every time someone stops to notice a bird, even a common one, that’s a moment of connection.
“Whether you’re watching rainbow lorikeets on your balcony, ducks in your local pond, or fairy-wrens darting through your backyard, we want everyone to experience the joy birds bring. Communities that care about nature are communities that protect it.”
Details
The 2025 Aussie Bird Count
When: Monday 20 – Sunday 26 October 2025
Where: Everywhere in Australia
How: Download the free Aussie Bird Count app or visit www.aussiebirdcount.org.au
What Bird Is That?
Aussie Bird Count – 2024 Results
Last year, the most popular birds were:
Win Prizes
Register for the Aussie Bird Count and submit a count between 20-26 October to go in the draw to win a prize from one of our incredibly generous sponsors.
From bird books, eco-friendly gear, to fine art and more, there’s a prize for every kind of bird lover.
Lane Cove Birds
We know that Lane Cove has an amazing range of wildlife. Here is a sample of some of the birds spotted in Lane Cove by In the Cove fans.
The Magpie above is Mummy (or Daddy) Magpie looking after a young magpie. A little magpie fell out of its nest on Burns Bay Road opposite the Bowling club. WIRES recommended putting the baby in the pot and hanging it in line of sight of the parents. The parents adapted to the plastic nest and are visiting and feeding the baby.
This bird turned up on a balcony in Lane Cove with a yellow tag on. The Cockatoo is part of Cockatoo.wingtags.com.
The Brush Turkey – you either love them or you hate them.
Kookaburras at the Lane Cove Golf Club. Photos provided by the Lane Cove Golf Club
So get together with your family and friends and do a bird count in Lane Cove.
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